Parental Advice
If you are fortunate enough to have your mom, dad, stepmom/dad, grand mom/dad, aunt, uncle, or family friend that serves in this capacity, you know that sometimes they like to give you advice and oftentimes they give you amazing advice that helps you advance and be who you want to be in this world. I’m finding more and more the one place this does not hold true is work.
The workplace has changed so much since some of our parents were in it that sometimes the advice they give you may not be the best advice for your success. When I was new to the workforce, the message we were told was work hard, keep your head down, dress for the next position you want, be in the office before your boss arrived and stay until after they left. Many of you reading this will think it is ridiculous, but that’s what we did, and some organizations still have that mentality and culture.
So, if you shouldn't get advice from a parental figure, who should you get advice from? In this day and age, it would be best to get advice from your manager about what the expectations are to be successful in your company. We aren’t in the industrial age, so we do not need several levels of management to help us get the task done, we just need clear expectations, great training, and a manager to coach us through our choices.
Does your company have an inclusive planning process, like the Appreciative Inquiry model, to include your voice in the planning process?
Do you have a phenomenal learning and development team to ensure everyone knows what to do when, so your manager has the role of being your coach and guide throughout your time at the organization? If not, have you ever wondered why? Maybe these would be good questions to ask when you are on a job interview:
How will I know how I am doing?
What type of training will I receive?
How long does the training last?
Does the training have metrics to track my success?
Who do I talk with about career planning and growth?
How do you promote people here?
In past years, we never would have asked these questions in a job interview, but today they are relevant and should be asked. The more you understand about the culture you work in, the more you will know if it is the right fit for you and IF you are looking for your best life, a culture fit is going to be important.
I’m not asking you to take my advice, I’m just asking you to think about it.